Adjustable drawbar



Dec. 22, i925. 1,566,831

' C. G. CLEMENT ADJUSTABLE DRAWBAR Filed Sept. 16 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Dec. 22,1925. 1,566,831

C. G. CLEMENT ADJUSTABLE DRAWBAR Filed Sept. 16 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5CWJ C-wn 5 w.: ma.

Patented Dee.

@Unirse s "rares P ATEN T l C CHARLES Gr. CL11|",l{[EN'l, OF EDGERT/ON,WISCONSIN, ASSGNOR T0 HGHWAY TRAILER COMPANY, OF EDGERTON, WISCONSIN, ACORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE DRAVBAR.

Application filed September 16, 1922. Serial No. 588,556.

To all #LU/wm di; 71 iag/ concern fBe it flknown that I, CHARLESGQCLEMEXT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot Edgerton,in the county of Rock and the State `.of 'Visconsim yhave inventedcertain newrandiusetul Improvements in Adjustable Drawbars, ot' whichthe following is a specilication, reference being had to the accom--'panying dra-Wings, forming a part. thereof.

Thepurpose of this invention is to provide adra'wbar for a trailervehicle adapted for quick adjustmentito a higher or lower position 'asdesired, -to facilitate connecting the trailer to different types Vofmotor vehieleszprovided with coupling means at diit terent'fheightsYVith present standards of construction, the coupler of the averagemotor'truckis disposedat a level considerably above that of theaXle,'whereas the coupler of fatractor is arranged closer to the ground.The invention, therefore, consists in certain features yand elements otconstruction and their combination as hereinafter described and shown inthe drawings and as indicated by the claims.

inthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a substantially medial vertical sectionofithe front end ofthe trailer vehicle, `equipped .with a drawbarvembodying this invention,certain parts 'being broken away, 'and the sectionbeing taken asindicated at line 1 1 on Figure 3.

' F igureQ is a ragmental view similar to Figure 1,-showing the drawbarat a different position of adjustment and presenting some `details-inelevation instead of in section.

lFigure 3 is a plan view ot the drawbar and its mounting on the vehicle`trame, the -"t`rame:beingsho\vn in section at line 33 on Figure 2.

Figure f1 is a front elevation of the mounting :and adjusting means 'forthe draxvhar taken as a vertical section at the line 4,-4 VonFigure 1.

iFigure 5 Iis a detail sectioirtalen indi cated at line 5-5 onfFigureB.

Figurev isa detail section taken as indicated yat line G.6on Figure 3.

Figure "Tais Aa `front elevation with parts broken away, showingtheadjusting means Vfor lthel locking bolts ofthe drawbar.

Thetrailer chosen for purposes ot illustration maybe understoodasatour-Wheeled vvehicle `in which the Wheels, l., at one end aredirigibly associated `with the body trame, 2, throughthe medium of asubiralne, 3, and a fifth wheel composed of tlat circular menibers, 4,4, mounted to turn upon each other and secured respectively to theframes, 2 and 3. The `frame, 3, is positively connected to the axle, 5,.preferably through a spring mounting, not shown, and at its furthercorners is provided with rigidly depending angular members, 6, forattachment ot' a draivbar.

fis seen in Figure 3, the drawbar includes a triangular frame portionhaving a transversev member, 7, and oblique side members, 8, which arealso connected by a cross brace, 9, and a guide fitting, 10, in whichthe drawhead, 11, is slidably mounted. Said head terminates in an eye,12, adapted to engage any standard motor vehicle coupler, and iscushioned inthe guide fitting, 10, by means of a coiled spring, 13,reacting against the flanges 14: and 15 of bushings, 14: and 15,respectively, set in opposite ends ot the guidefitting, 10. Adjacent theeye, 12, the drawhead, 11, is flanged at 16 and thus stopped against thebushing, 14, and at the oppositie end the `shank ot the drawhead isfitted with al nut, 17, which stops against the bushing, 15, as shown insection in Figure 1. Thus the shank, 11, will slide through one et thebushings While-carrying the other bushing with it through its guideopening in the fit-ting, 10, and compressing the spring, 13, Wheneverany considerable force is applied to the eye, 1Q, Whether it be a pushor a Jull.

1 At the broad end of the triangular frame which constitutes thedrawbar, the terminal portions `of the side members, 8, are bent andlapped against the bent ends ot the transverse member, 7, to form.attaching lugs, 18, which are apertured to receive locking bolts, 19.These lugs are supplemented `byV wrought or cast biliari-ated Iittiugns.T". through which the locking bolts, 19, extend tor pivotal engagementwith the ends oi link members, 20. At their opposite ends` `the linksare carried on pivots, 2l. each supported by lugs, which extend from albase plate, 23,`secured to the front face ot each of the dependingangles, 6, of the opposite iront corner of the frame, 3. The bolts. 19.are transversely slidable, being mounted upon the transverse member, Y,of

i the dran-'ban and-the base plates, 23, are i I each provided with twopairs of apertured lugs, 24 and 25, respectively, at lowerand higherpositions, as seen in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The mounting lugs, 22, inwhich the link -pivots, 21,. are guided, are located midway between the'lugs, 24, and lugs, 25, soV

- that'ithe links,I 20;, may swing .in vertical tion to Y the other.

y arcs'to Vguide the drawbar from Vene'posiy At either limit of adAjustment, the lugs, 18, enter between theV A lugs, 24 or 25,and thebolts, 19, are moved outwardly through the apertures'of .said lugs, vJ4011.25, to'l secure the :drawbar to the framef The sliding adjustmentofthe bolts, 19, 1s

, accomplished by aL-fcrank, 26,A which rotates a spur pinion, 27,meshing with lrack bars,

28, Vattached to the Vinner ends'l of the bolts,

19, andengaging oppositeV sides ofthe pinion,

27;,-as shown ini-Figure 5. 'Ihe racks and- Y pinion areenclosed in acasing, 29, having 'a' faceplate, '30,- which the crank, 26, trav-.erseswin .swinging-from one limit to the other`.f-This-swing isdesignedto be about 180,so thatthecrank'arm extends horigzontally ateither limit, and at the position Y inl which the bolts, 19, areprotruded outwardlytoiengage the lugs, 24 or 25, a detent bolt, 31,enters an aperture, 32, inthe part, 7 ,whichfis flush with the faceplate, 30, as shown in Figure 6. This detent is slidably housed intheend ofthe crank, 26, and is provide-d witha handle, 33, by which it may'bereadily withdrawn against the pressure ofthe pocketed spring, 34,when it is dey siredf-to release the bolts, 19 for shifting the drawbark,to its 'otherfpositionl e Y. Figure 1 illustrates theparts fadjustedin the llower position with -the .drawbar locked to the lugs, 24, by thebolts, 19. This adapts the trailer `for connection to a tractor ofordinary construction. To shift thedraw-.

lbar to plie upper position, it is onlynecessary to. pull out the detenthandle, 33, and rotate the crank, 26, to the position shown in Figure 7,thus releasing the bolts, 19, and

permitting the triangularly framed drawbar to `be swung forwardly andupwardly 'through the arc, A, of Figure 1, for entering the terminals,18, between the lugs, 25. The links, 20, will temporarily support part4of the weightof the 'drawbar in this position untilfthe crank, 26, canbe rotated back to` the position shown in Figure 4, so thatl the detentbolt, 31,'"1nay`engage the aperture, V32, for retention of the bolts,19.

' The reversal of these steps is all that is necessary for returning theparts through the arc, B, shown 111,Fv1gu1'e'2,'when the loweradjustment 'ofthe drawbar is again y desired.v Y

It maybe ,noted that the drawbar includes a hollowffsquare socket, 35,and a.

fiat. seat, 36,.,with fupstanding, guard anges,

1,5ee,ss1

37,-these features,beingfadapted to accommodate the end of afwagontonguewhen it is desired to attach horses to the trailer.v

1. Incombination with a vehicle frame, a drawbar lwith a link connectedto the `frame and' to the drawb'ar" by horizontal pivots extendingtransversely ofthe vehicle, where by said link is adapted to swing up ordown to guide the drawbar into av higher or lower. position, and4 meansfor connectingV the drawbar to the frame independently onf-.said

Vlinkat eitherthe higher or the lower position.: f 2. yIn thecombination defined ,in claim 1,

i said connecting means comprising apertured lugs and a locking` bolt tocooperatectherewith, one of' said parts being on the yframe and theother on the drawbaixg' J Y i 3. In theccombination defined inclaim 1,

said connecting means comprising a-pertured lugs on the frameand alocking bolt slidably carried on the drawbar.

4. In combination with a kvehicle frame, a drawbar comprising atransverse rportion yextending. substantially across the vehicle frameand a central ldrawhead projecting longitudinally therefrom, a pairv oflinks connecting the'transversefpart of the draw-z bar to the frame atlaterally .separated points by Lmeans of horizontal pivots onithe framekand on the drawbar topermitv swing# ing the drawbar'between the loweranda Y higher position with respect to Vsaid frame, and means `:forlockingthe drawbar to the frame at veither of said positions.

5.' In the combination' defined in claim 4 a locking means comprisingafpair of bolts slidably carried on the' transverse part of the drawbar,apertured lugs on the yframe to receive said bolts in the upper or lowerposition of the draw bar and manually oper,- able means on saidtransverse portion connected to the bolts and adapted for simultaneouslymoving them in opposite directions. Y Y.

6. In kthe combination defined in claim-'4,

the locking means comprisingv a pair of bolts slidably carried on thetransverse part Vof the drawbar," means on the A'frame to also as thepivots which connect the links thereto, together with apertured lugs onthe frame positioned to register with said bolts .inthe upper and lowerpositions of the drawbar and means for sliding the bolts ,laterally uponsaid transverse part through a limited distance for engagement With saidlugs or Withdrawal therefrom.

8. In the combination defined in claim Ll, the transverse portion of thedrawbar having lugs projecting in pairs from its rear `face at laterallyseparated points, the looking means Comprising' a pair of boltssupported slid-ably in said lugs for limited nlovement therethrough andapertured lugs in pairs on the frame positioned to register with saidbolts in the upper and lower positions of the drawhar and to interlapwith the paired lugs of the drawloar together with means for sliding`the bolts through said lugs.

9. In the Combination defined in claim Il the locking means comprising apair of bolts slidably carried by the transverse portion of the drawbarwith racks on their inner ends and a gear pinion journalled on saidtransverse portion meshing With both racks, a era-nk handle to rotatesaid gear and a detent in the handle (1o-operating with a part of thedrawbar to retain the holts in their outwardly thrust positions togetherwith apertured lugs on the 'frame positioned lo he engaged by said hol'sin the upper and lower positions ot adjustment ot' the drawbar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Edgerton,lVisconsin, this 13th day ot Sept., 1922.

CHARLES G. CLEMENT.

